Two UCL researchers win prizes for competition in Parliament

Dr Matthew Powner (UCL
Chemistry) has been awarded the Gold prize at a competition in the House of
Commons for the excellence of his chemistry research, receiving a £3,000 prize.

Renata Gomes, currently
studying for a PhD at UCL Medicine, won Silver in the Biological Sciences
section and received £2,000.

The academics presented their
science research to politicians and a panel of expert judges as part of the
poster competition SET for Britain
on Monday 12 March.

SET for Britain is a
competition in the House of Commons that involves researchers displaying
posters of their work to panels of expert judges and politicians. The
Parliamentary and Scientific Committee run the event in collaboration with a
number of other institutions.

Dr Powner explained:
“The research I undertake is fundamental research and it makes me proud to
see something like this come out on top, at a time when there’s such a big
drive for research to deliver fast financial rewards.“

Renata Gomes commented:
“SET for Britain was a chance for me to communicate my science to lots of
different people. My research is funded by charitable foundations, I wanted to
give a bit back in return for the trust they have given me through their
funds.”

The event aims to help
politicians understand more about the UK’s thriving science and engineering
base and rewards some of the strongest scientific and engineering research
being undertaken in the UK.

Andrew
Miller MP, Chairman of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee explained:
“This annual competition is important because it gives MPs an opportunity to
speak to a wide range of the country’s best young researchers. These early
career scientists are the architects of our future and SET for Britain is
politicians’ best opportunity to meet them and understand their work.”